


The Canticle of Maferath

by Cabiria_Il_Notte, RaeDMagdon



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Anal Sex, Bondage, F/F, Futanari, G!P, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Hypnotism, Magic Cock, Manipulation, Mind Control, Non-Graphic Rape/Non-Con, Oral Sex, Rape Recovery, Rape/Non-con Elements, Threesome - F/F/F, True Love, comeshots for days, dubcon, noncon, nonconsensual anal sex, nonconsensual blowjobs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-07
Updated: 2015-04-24
Packaged: 2018-03-10 22:00:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3304916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cabiria_Il_Notte/pseuds/Cabiria_Il_Notte, https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaeDMagdon/pseuds/RaeDMagdon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Elissa Cousland ventures into the Fade to rescue Leliana from a desire demon's clutches, but untangling her lover from the creature's web proves more difficult than she expects. Together, they must fight their way to freedom and find a way to heal afterwards.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story contains graphic depictions of nonconsensual sex in the first four chapters, and graphic depictions of consensual sex afterward. That being said, it's a very enjoyable story, and we have a great deal of plot and hurt/comfort planned for afterwards. Give it a go, and maybe skip ahead if it gets a bit too intense.
> 
> Just so we're clear, it contains:  
> \- cock stuff (The desire demon can change her appearance, and also grow a cock where her clit would be. She can also gift this ability to others in the Fade.)  
> \- humiliation/insults  
> \- mind control elements  
> \- manipulation  
> \- bondage  
> \- headfuck stuff (consider this your trigger warning)  
> \- some anal near the end

“The first of the Maker's children watched across the Veil and grew jealous of the life they could not feel, could not touch.”

Erudition 2:1

 

“Are you sure you want to try this alone?” Alistair asked. He stood with sword and shield at the ready, willing and eager to help. _Perhaps a little too eager,_ Elisa thought as she studied him. He shifted his weight, shuffling anxiously and avoiding her eyes. “I know you're capable, but anything could be inside that portal. We don't know what the demon might throw at us.”

She cracked her neck from side to side, squaring her shoulders with determination. “Leliana’s been my lover for months. Whatever it is, I can handle it. Besides, I’m not sure you’ll be much help in there, given your... uh... preferences?” She cleared her throat, trying to hide her mild look of revulsion. Images of Alistair writhing on top of Wynne would surely haunt her dreams for decades to come.  

“Look, it isn’t like I sent word ahead of time…” Alistair sighed and feigned writing something in midair. “‘Dear Demon, how’re the wife and kids? If it’s not too much trouble, could you please make things incredibly awkward and tempt me to stay in the fade with every woman I know? Thanks. You’re a peach.’” His arms and head sank in defeat. “It just happened.”

“Of course you had nothing to do with the entire mess,” Morrigan drawled, not even bothering to hide her look of disgust. “It only makes sense for a desire demon to tempt you with things you’ve never imagined. Perhaps it made a mistake? Oghren wasn't there with us, after all.”

Alistair's posture stiffened. “Right, because watching you punish yourself with that staff of yours was such a treat.”

“At least the Antivan wasn’t on his knees in my dream as he was in yours,” Morrigan snapped. “Really, Alistair, were Elissa, Leliana, Wynne, Shale and I not enough for you?”

A blush colored Alistair's cheeks, and his voice grew shrill as he tried desperately to defend himself. “At least my dream had other people in it, you harpy! D'you think the demon gave you a copy of yourself because it knows how selfish and narcissistic you are, or was it because no one in Thedas would come within ten feet of you with their clothes off?"

Morrigan scowled at him. "No one in Thedas, hmm? Your portal attested to a vastly different truth.”

“Stop it, both of you,” Elissa snapped, cutting their argument short. “We can bicker and argue about whose dream was more disgusting once I’ve freed Leliana.”

Alistair had the decency to hang his head, and even Morrigan looked the tiniest bit ashamed. “Very well,” she said, turning toward the glowing spirit door. “I wish you luck, Warden. While you go in after her, Alistair and I will attempt to find our way out of the Fade. If we are successful, perhaps we can watch over your physical body.”

“It’s Leliana I’m worried about. She’s been in there a long time. If I can’t find a way to bring her back...” Elissa shuddered. She didn’t want to think about it. Freeing Morrigan and Alistair from their dreams had been fairly simple, but she had a feeling that untangling Leliana from the demon’s web would prove far more difficult.

“Just be careful,” Alistair said. “I know I’m not your type, and Morrigan’s, well…”

Morrigan arched an eyebrow at him. “Well, what?”

“I was going to be polite and let that sentence trail off, but if you want me to finish it, I’m sure I can come up with something.” Morrigan scoffed at him and turned away, folding her arms tight over her chest. He shook his head and continued. “What I’m trying to say is, the demon will try and use Leliana against you. Don’t let it get inside your head.”

Elissa had to admit that Alistair made a fair point. Leliana had been the focus of her own dream, and there had been a moment, right when she tore herself away from that sweet-smelling strawberry hair and those soft, inviting lips, where she had been certain she would die without another kiss. “I’ll be careful,” she said as she turned to face the door. “Try not to kill each other while I’m gone. And if I don’t come back…” She gave Alistair one last meaningful glance. “Make sure the rest of the treaties stand. The Wardens are going to need every bit of help we can get against the Blight.”

“Optimistic as always,” Morrigan said.

Alistair clapped her shoulder. “Good luck. We’ll see you on the other side.”

With a cautious step, Elissa moved toward the last portal and passed through the glowing door. Before she could even blink, it transported her to a lavishly decorated bedroom. Candlelight danced along the walls, but it wasn’t quite bright enough to banish the shadows from the far corners. An intricate Orlesian rug led to a canopied bed, and she was not surprised to see Leliana lying on top of the mattress. Her arms and legs were bound to the bedposts, leaving her naked body on full display.

The sight of her vulnerable lover stoked the low, smoldering ember her own dream had left behind, and an uncomfortable stab of desire pierced Elissa’s stomach. She willed herself to ignore it and hurried forward. “Leliana! I’m-”

That was when she noticed the desire demon crouching at the head of the bed. Its stance was primal, hands resting between its bowed knees to support its weight as it stared down at Leliana. Its curved horns were almost as wide as the headboard, and its violet lips curled in a chilling, beautiful smile as it looked up at her. Elissa stopped in her tracks. “Ah, Ser Cousland,” it purred, using a whisper that slid deep into her ears despite the distance between them. “I have been expecting you.”

Elissa gripped her sword tighter. “How do you know my name?”

“Your name is just the beginning of what I know about you.” The demon’s smile grew, and it left the bed behind, standing to face her instead. Its purple eyes pulsed with light, and the delicate silver chains draped across its feminine body swayed as it moved. “I have felt you for some time. You have been trying to tear your way out of my little paradise. What I do not understand is why.”

Elissa stared at the demon in disbelief. “Is this some kind of trick? You’ve trapped us in the Fade! We don’t belong here.” Her eyes darted back to the bed. Leliana's breasts rose and fell with the soft cadence of her breath, but otherwise, she remained completely still.

“But why do wish to go home? Your lover is happy here. So were you, for a time. The only reason you left your own dream was to find her. The real her. And here you are.” The demon trailed its fingertips across Leliana’s stomach and the muscles there quivered beneath its touch. Anger flared in Elissa’s chest, but when she tried to rush forward, she found that she could not move. The demon's voice had paralyzed her. As if it could sense her emotions, it took on a more soothing tone, still running its hand back and forth over Leliana’s pale skin. “There is no need for jealousy, Warden. You have succeeded. The two of you are together again. You can stay here with her forever, and there is no reason left for either of you to leave.”

Elissa lowered her sword. The demon’s words draped over her shoulders, weighing her down like a heavy net. A persistent red fog seeped in around the edges of her eyes, and she blinked several times to clear her head. “This isn’t real,” she insisted, struggling to keep her shield up.

“How could it be any more real? I am offering you a gift: eternal bliss with the one you adore. Do you understand the weight of such an offer? Do you realize how many would fall to their knees for this promise?” Elissa was speechless for a long moment. Her eyes locked on the demon’s hand, her vision blurred and hazy as she watched it caress Leliana’s stomach.

The demon preyed on her hesitation and continued its proposal. “There are things your lover needs that you simply cannot give her. I can.” It stood, its purple smile twisting in the low light of the bedroom. A faint violet glow washed over its skin, growing in intensity until the light became almost blinding. Instinctively, Elissa raised her shield against the overwhelming brightness and shut her eyes. After a few moments, the light faded, and the dim room returned to its previous state. The creature called out for her once more, but the hollow echo at the end of its words wrapped around another voice, one that ran thick with an Orlesian accent. “You can put your sword and shield away. They are of no use to you here.”

Elissa peered cautiously over the top of her shield. A strange woman stood before her, several years Leliana’s senior, with dark hair, snow white skin, and clever brown eyes tinted with a hidden spark of violet. Even though they had never met, she could guess whose form the demon had taken. It had to be Marjolaine. The woman Leliana was running from. The woman who had tried to kill them. The woman whose name pierced her ears on the nights when Leliana woke up screaming. “If you think this is what Leliana wants, you couldn’t be more wrong,” she insisted.

The demon was not dissuaded. It laughed, tossing aside its new hair. “You think so? Perhaps you need a demonstration.” ‘Marjolaine’ snapped her fingers, and Leliana’s eyes opened. They blinked slowly, and Elissa felt a surge of hope when they settled on her, but there was no recognition in them. Her irises were wide, dark pits, empty and glazed over with lust.

“Leliana,” Elissa called, dropping her shield and trying to reach out for her. “We have to get out of here!” There was no response. Leliana continued staring straight ahead as though she were invisible.

The demon raked its fingers through Leliana’s hair in a hauntingly affectionate gesture. _“Regarde moi, ma chatte,”_ it sang in a low voice. Leliana immediately turned to look. She rose as far as her bonds would allow and nuzzled into its palm. “I told you, Leliana is happy here. I can give her anything she wants. I can be anyone she wants.”

“You aren’t what she wants!” Elissa cried. She closed the distance between them, sword drawn and ready. “Let her go, or I’ll do everything in my power to end you.”

The creature’s purple tongue rolled along its upper teeth. “Everything in your power, you say? How inconvenient.” It turned its attention back to Leliana, cupping her jaw and tracing a thumb over her bottom lip. “I had hoped to keep you both. It will be a shame for her to watch you die.” The creature bowed its head, nose brushing against Leliana’s. “But somehow, I think she’ll get over it…” Finally, it bent forwards, capturing Leliana’s lips in a deep kiss.

Searing crimson swam through Elissa's head, and the pang of sorrow that ached in her chest exploded outwards. She rushed at the demon, thrusting her sword through the creature’s left shoulder. But when her blow landed, there were no screams. Only faint laughter filled the room. “Is that truly the best a Grey Warden has to offer?” the demon taunted, its fingers still threaded through Leliana’s hair. “I was expecting more of a challenge.”

Elissa tried to reclaim her sword for another strike, but it was no longer embedded in the demon’s flesh at all. It remained jutting forward, piercing thin air. There wasn’t even a drop of blood on the edge of her blade. Her fingers loosened, and her weapon clattered to the ground alongside her shield. She tried to bend down and retrieve them, but her arms and legs refused to work. Her limbs stayed stiff as stone, and aside from her breath and the beating of her heart, she couldn’t move at all. “Leliana!” she cried, but what should have been a shout came out in a soft whisper.

The demon smirked. One of its hands slid up along Leliana’s torso, cupping the swell of her breast and thumbing a pink nipple to hardness. Bitter tears stung Elissa’s eyes. She struggled against her invisible bonds, determined to tear the demon away from her lover, but no matter how hard she fought, she could not move. She could only watch helplessly as Leliana gazed up at ‘Marjolaine’ with cloudy eyes and whimpered at her touch.

“Maybe I will be able to turn you again after all,” the demon purred, giving her a hooded glance. Its eyes trailed up and down along her body, and if she hadn’t been frozen, Elissa would have shuddered. The thing before her was repulsive, but the thick red fog of anger had settled into something else, a haze that clouded the edges of her mind. “You escaped me once, but now I have your pet.” The demon's hand wandered to Leliana’s other breast, and it raked its nails between them, leaving behind a few faint scratches. “Perhaps observing her will make you content to stay.”

“No,” Elissa croaked. Her heart pounded fearfully in her chest, but at the same time, a sickening knot of desire began twisting in her stomach. It coiled tighter as her eyes flitted along the pale column of Leliana’s throat, following the demon’s stroking fingers. She tried to will it away, dismissing the low throb as one of the creature’s tricks. “No, please don’t-”

“Such politeness must get you everywhere in your struggles against the Blight." The demon turned its attention back to Leliana. Each pass of its hand elicited tiny mewls of pleasure. “She’s such a good pet, isn’t she, Warden?” Its fingers shot out, and Leliana’s bindings vanished. “I’ll prove it to you. She doesn’t even need to be restrained to serve me.”

Leliana sat upright and stared at her for a long, silent moment, but there wasn’t even a hint of recognition in her eyes. Her gaze was quick to focus back on ‘Marjolaine’. When she spoke, her voice still held the same sweet, sensual lilt as always. _“Maîtresse? Pourrai-je vous goûter, s’il vous plait?”_

Elissa only knew spatterings of Orleasian, but it didn’t take an expert to figure out what Leliana had asked. Her heart sank as the demon toyed with the Leliana’s hair, still holding eye contact with her. Finally, it tilted its head and gave a single nod.

Leliana wasted no time. She scrambled off the bed to kneel on the floor, bowing her head into the creature’s grasp as she craned forwards. The ache in Elissa’s chest doubled. With each breath she took, Leliana inched closer, and tightness grew in the pit of her stomach. The unmistakable arousal she felt in spite of their situation was far more troubling than anything else the Fade held. “Stop…” she whimpered, the only word she could summon.

The demon stopped Leliana, halting her movement before her ready mouth could make contact. It smirked, its eyes dark and sinister as it addressed the woman at its feet. _“Demande-moi encore une fois, en Common.”_ Leliana whined and tried to push forward, but the creature tightened its grasp on her thick red locks. _“Maintenant.”_

Leliana nodded, never taking her sights off the prize in front of her. “Mistress… Can I please taste you?” The words struck Elissa like a blow, and a flood of memories poured into her head. How many times had Leliana said those words, those exact same words, to her in their tent? Then that soft red mouth would skim down over her stomach, perhaps up along her thighs before finally… finally…

A heavy pulse pounded between her legs, and she blinked, banishing the creeping edges of the fog before they could close in on her completely. This was the demon’s fault. It was manipulating her, trying to distract her from the horror of what was really happening. She had to free herself and get Leliana out of here as soon as possible. “No,” she repeated, her voice stronger this time. “That isn’t Leliana. The real Leliana wouldn’t want you. The real Leliana would be disgusted by you.”

The demon’s black eyes glittered at her. “Would she? I think not.” She released the back of Leliana’s head and stroked her cheek instead. _“Lèche-moi, ma chatte_. Show your Warden how eager you are to serve.” Leliana dipped forward and extended her tongue, dragging it upwards in a long, slow swipe.

 


	2. Chapter 2

“O Maker, hear my cry: Guide me through the blackest nights. Steel my heart against the temptations of the wicked.”

Transfigurations 12:1

 

Elissa grunted, pulled, tried to claw her way toward Leliana and rip her away, but it was useless. She could only watch in horror as Leliana’s lips sealed around the tight red bud of the demon’s clit. An unwelcome stab of heat shot down between her legs with each pull, growing stronger with every muffled noise her lover made. She could almost feel Leliana’s mouth wrapped around her instead, drawing her tight and then releasing, lashing with her tongue. “Stop,” she rasped, unsure whether she was speaking to Leliana, the demon, or herself. “I don’t want to feel it… I - I don’t want to…”

The demon adopted an expression of surprise as it continued petting Leliana’s hair. “You don’t like my gift?” it asked, brow furrowing with false concern. “I thought you would appreciate a small taste of the pleasure your pet is giving me. Why shouldn’t she serve both of us? If you stay here with me, we can share her however we like.”

With her mind splintered and weak, the offer was almost enticing. Elissa’s clit throbbed with need, and her muscles grew tighter by the second, but even in her state of desire and anguish, she knew this was wrong. They had to get out of here. She screwed her eyes shut, trying to block out the demon’s attempts at coercion, but the display was far too enticing to ignore. “This… she… She doesn’t want this.”

The creature sighed, rolling its eyes not entirely unlike Morrigan. “And who would know the girl’s desires best, hmm? You, the one who has warmed her bed for a few short months, or me, the one with a tapped vein right to her very core?”

Leliana remained oblivious to the conversation, running her tongue eagerly between Marjolaine’s pouting lips. Elissa winced, casting her gaze downward in an attempt to stop her labored breathing. “I don’t believe you,” she said, but her own words were utterly unconvincing.

“Then don’t. She will tell you herself.” It pulled its hips back, and an audible whine slipped from between Leliana’s lips. “Mon amour, demandez au Warden à quel point vous avez besoin de moi, en Common.”

Even though the Warden only understood a few words here and there, she dreaded the response. Leliana stared straight ahead, her eyes glossy and blank. “I live to serve only you, Marjolaine,” she said in a flat voice.

The demon clacked its tongue against the roof of its mouth, tsking at Leliana in reprimand. “Address our guest,” she commanded.

When Leliana turned to stare at her, Elissa couldn’t help but feel like a stranger, a voyeur in a situation between two lovers. With the Fade’s hold bearing down on her, clouding her mind and destroying her ability to articulate, all she could do was whisper a soft plea. “Don’t, Leli… please…”  Tears pooled in her eyes, and her voice cracked with the final word.

Leliana tilted her head, as if to wonder for a split second why the stranger was crying, but obviously thought little of it. “I live to serve Marjolaine. She is my love. I do not know why this vexes you, but it is the truth.”

Each word was a cold knife through Elissa’s heart. The moment they escaped into the air, the demon dragged Leliana forward, curling a possessive hand around the back of her neck. “Good girl,” it purred, spreading its thighs wider. Elissa looked on in frustration, straining against her invisible bonds. She tried to close her eyes again, hoping the best way to spite the creature would be to refuse its games.

“Look this way, Warden,” the demon ordered. “You’re going to want to see this.” Elissa’s neck lolled back, entirely out of her control, and she gasped in surprise. Leliana was no longer kneeling before Marjolaine. Instead, her chest was pressed flat against the marble floor while the demon's hand gripped the back of her neck. Elissa's pulse throbbed, and her unwilling eyes traced a line down the curve of Leliana’s spine, stopping at the familiar heart-shaped backside.

That was when she saw it. A thick, veined shaft had sprouted between the demon's legs, jutting forward and commanding her attention. The creature seemed to bask in her stare. Its abdominal muscles tensed, forcing the cock to strain even further in a series of sluggish jolts. “I told you," it said, making a show of lining up with Leliana's entrance, "there are things she needs that you simply cannot give her.” A selfish grin twisted its face, and it gripped Leliana’s hips, thrusting all the way inside of her with one fluid stroke.

The sharp cry that followed shattered her completely. Fury rushed in to replace her fear. How dare this… thing… lay a hand on Leliana? Worse still, she couldn’t close the jealous hole in the pit of her stomach. She wanted to be inside of Leliana, and she hated the creature for taking what should have been hers and hers alone. She tried to speak, but words failed her, and she let out a deep whine of desire instead. The demon started to thrust. Each harsh roll of its hips shoved Leliana toward her, and as their rhythm picked up speed, Elissa felt her resolve crumble. “Leliana,” an echo of Marjolaine's haunting voice called, slithering through the demon's lips. “Regarde la.”

Leliana’s eyes lifted to meet hers, and the desire she saw there tore her in two. It was so familiar, so haunting, and she hated the fact that she wasn’t the one causing it. Her lust became anger again, swallowing her mind, making her fight against the invisible ties that bound her. “Let her go,” she growled through clenched teeth, muscles straining until they felt ready to snap. “Get out of her or I’ll…”

The demon paused in its thrusts, completely ignoring Leliana’s sobs of disapproval and impatience. “Or you’ll what?” It leaned forward, brushing aside the loose strands of Leliana’s hair and pressing a few open-mouthed kisses to her bare shoulder. Each one made Leliana’s hips jerk backward, and Elissa’s rage blazed hotter. “You’ll break free, kill me, and reclaim what belongs to you?”

To her horror, the creature began shifting again, fading in and out through a wash of purple light as its limbs twisted and reshaped themselves. The brightness burned, but Elissa couldn’t bear to look away, not even when she realized the demon’s violet eyes were peering back at her from a copy of her own face. “I’ve already told you, you can’t give her the things I can. You are nothing. An insignificant gnat.”

Elissa groped for a response, but nothing came. Seeing herself buried inside of Leliana was a thousand times worse than watching the impersonation of Marjolaine. Fury and desire rippled through her body, tangling together until she couldn’t tell them apart anymore. But underneath them all was doubt. The demon’s words had planted a seed in her mind that could not be uprooted.

“You aren’t me,” she spat. “You’re still manipulating her. If she was awake, she’d know the difference. If she was…” But somehow, she doubted her words. The demon had copied her expertly, down to the last freckle. Aside from the thick shaft between its legs, still buried half-way inside of Leliana and covered in clear, dripping wetness, they were identical. It could be whatever Leliana wanted, and it knew Leliana’s desires far better than she could.

The demon continued pumping its hips, sliding all the way inside of Leliana and spreading her thighs open. It was a sickeningly intimate view, and Elissa couldn’t look away as the thick shaft split Leliana apart, driving sharp cries from deep within her chest. “Watch me,” the creature said, wisps of purple-red light crawling over its skin. “Watch me give her more pleasure than you ever have.”

Elissa didn’t have any choice but to watch. She was painfully present for every thrust, every whimper, every curl of Leliana's lip. The look of ecstasy that contorted her lover’s face seemed foreign to her, as did the greedy way she rocked back into each thrust. Leliana was uninhibited in private, but never unhinged. Never like this.

The realization ate away at Elissa’s resolve until she wasn’t entirely sure the demon was lying. Leliana continued staring at her, eyes glossy and hooded with desire. It was obvious that she wasn’t focused on anything aside from her immediate obedience. Was this all Leliana wanted? To serve and be used? Her hips moved in a shallow, jealous rocking motion as she struggled against the bonds, and her face contorted in anger. “You aren’t real. This isn’t real!” The demon ignored her. It pulled hard on the tangled locks of Leliana's hair, craning her body back at a painful angle. A look of utter delight transformed Leliana's face at the rough treatment, and Elissa shook, unable to tear her gaze away. “Please,” she begged, trying to close her eyes once more. “Stop…”

The demon’s quick, hard thrusts turned into slow gyrations of its hips, and Leliana arched her back, craning into the possessive hand within her hair. Soon, her gasps turned into howls of pleasure, ones that had never graced their tent in the months they spent together. The creature laughed over Leliana’s moans of delight. “Why should I? Is there something you want, Warden?”

Elissa did want. She wanted to tear out her own eyes. She wanted to rip the demon that had stolen her body away from Leliana and take its place behind her. She wanted to be the one buried to the hilt inside of her lover, coaxing those noises from her beautiful throat. And somewhere beyond her primal jealousy and possessiveness, she wanted to take Leliana in her arms and shield her from this nightmare. She clung to that thought, knowing it was the last piece of her true self that the demon hadn’t broken or infected. She had to save Leliana. Had to help her, to protect her from any more pain...

But then Leliana’s screaming shattered her tenuous grip. She froze, and a visible shudder coursed through her body as the demon pushed inside of her one last time. Elissa could only watch helplessly as a rush of fluid spilled out around the base of its shaft. The muscles of Leliana’s stomach rippled with each splash, and a sob broke in Elissa’s throat when she realized that the copy of herself was coming, too, filling her lover with each twitch. They remained joined, shivering and rocking together as the mess ran down along their thighs and onto the floor.

Elissa’s heart cracked in her chest. Tears ran down her cheeks, thick enough to drip from her chin, but they were no longer tears of grief. Instead, they painted hot, angry trails across her flushed face. She was worthless. How could she save Leliana now? Why should she? The demon had been right all along. It knew Leliana better than she did, and it could please Leliana better than she ever could. The invisible bonds around her finally loosened, but she didn’t care. Her shoulders slumped, and she cast her eyes down to the floor, too broken look at the demon or meet Leliana’s glazed eyes.

“There is no need for tears,” a soothing voice purred. The demon pulled out of Leliana with a sickening pop and rose to its feet. As it walked toward her, its skin shifted back to purple, and the familiar horns sprouted from its head. “You’ve accepted that your pet belongs to me, but it doesn’t mean she can’t be yours as well.” Its hand came up to caress her cheek, and she couldn’t find the strength to pull away from its slender fingers. “Submit yourself to my service, and you’ll never have to spend a minute apart from her. You may have her as often as you like, any way you like, in exchange for allowing me to feed.”

How could she refuse? The demon had proven its point. Her heart ached, but the damage had been done. She nodded, agreeing wordlessly to anything it asked. “I’m so glad you see things my way,” the demon said. It tucked aside a few stray locks of her hair, its lips curling in satisfaction. “You’ll see, Warden. I can be very generous if afforded the opportunity.”

With slow, heavy movements, Elissa’s head followed the horned woman as it circled her. A hand rested on her broad shoulders and slipped effortlessly to the back of her neck. Claws hooked against her skin, dragging over her flesh as the demon leaned close and ran a hand down along her belly, stopping just above her belt. She swallowed at the intimate contact, but was unable to struggle against it.

The demon's fingers tightened on the back of her neck, demanding her attention. Its face hovered inches away from hers, sweet breath spilling across her lips while the hand on her stomach sank lower. "I already know you," it murmured as its fingers curled against her leathers. Pressure pounded in her abdomen, and her clit began to ache, straining and pulsing at the possessive touch. "But even if I didn't? Your look of jealousy said it all." Suddenly, the creature’s mouth caught hers in a blazing kiss. The heat of its lips blistered her own, and her eyes slid shut as the throbbing between her legs became unbearable.

When the kiss finally ended, Elissa could hardly remember how to breathe. She opened her eyes, and the demon motioned downwards, urging her to look. Her clothes had disappeared, and the throbbing point of her clit had extended into a long, thick shaft. The new length was already firm, straining out against the empty air. She gasped, her cheeks burning with confusion. “How did you…?”  She had always presented herself in a masculine way, cutting her hair short and learning swordplay with the best of them, but only in the deepest, darkest part of her mind had she ever considered this.

The demon laughed, allowing their noses to brush. “Are you surprised? You shouldn't be. You may have to hide your desires in the mortal world, but not here. I can give you anything you want.” It released its hold on her and extended a hand toward Leliana, still sprawled across the floor. Elissa's hungry eyes fixed on her. The red haze swallowed her mind completely, and the sight of her lover, still naked and dripping with the creature’s lust, called her forward. She knew nothing, thought of nothing, wanted nothing more than to reap her reward and claim what was rightfully hers.

 


	3. Chapter 3

“Those who had been cast down, the demons who would be gods, began to whisper to men from their tombs within the earth.”

Threnodies 5:11

 

Empty. She was so empty. Desire clawed deep within her, slicing through her stomach as she spread her legs. She reached forward, searching… grasping… lifting her hips to find… what? She couldn’t remember. There had been pleasure, a blissful surge of warmth, and then… then… emptiness.

Nothing.

She whined. Bit her lip. Flexed the muscles in her thighs as her pulse kept pounding, pounding, drumming deep between her legs. She longed for the warm hands that had gripped her waist. The clever fingers that had raked over her flesh. The thick length that had stretched her open and forced shudder after shudder from her body. She ached and squirmed and shivered against the floor, certain she would shake apart if they did not return.

And then, finally, a shadow loomed over her. She cried out in relief as powerful arms scooped her up, carrying her over to the bed. She barely felt the soft silk of the sheets, but she savored the lithe muscles shifting on top of her and the firm weight that pressed her down into the mattress. She flung her arms around the shadowy figure’s neck, fisting the short hair she found and parting her lips for a kiss.

She got something even better instead. The thickness was back, and the blunt tip of a cock dragged through her folds, searching for her entrance. She spread her thighs and hooked one of her knees around the figure’s hip, desperate to be stretched open. The first press burned beautifully, and she hissed in encouragement.

“Leliana…”

The sound of her name tugged at something she had forgotten. Her brow furrowed, and she froze, trying to remember what it was. The face swimming above hers was familiar. Pale skin, messy red hair, and a strong jaw. She knew that face. This woman. A name hovered on the tip of her tongue, so close she could almost taste it. Then another inch of the cock pushed inside of her, and it slipped away again.

She groaned and rocked down, sobbing with relief. Being filled again felt so incredibly right. What could have been only moments alone felt like years, and the welcome stretch soothed the deep, throbbing ache between her legs. She raked her nails down the woman's broad back, pulling her as close as possible. She didn’t know who this stranger was, and she didn’t care. She rolled her hips in a lazy, stirring motion and enjoyed the flood of sensations.

A slight change in position made her breath catch, and she buried her face in the stranger’s neck, inhaling sharply. The scent pooling there was familiar: sweat, leather, and a hint of Andraste’s Grace. She shuddered, capturing the increasingly familiar stranger’s pulse point. The taste of flesh on her tongue made her eyes widen, and she drew the body on top of hers closer. “Lissa?” she gasped. But as the Warden hastened her movements, it became harder and harder to think. She still wasn't sure where they were, or how her beloved had become so...well-endowed...but as each thrust slammed into her, it became harder to put her thoughts in order.

Elissa’s movements grew short and frantic, and Leliana lost herself in the moment. Her hands groped for flesh and found it, and she raked her nails between Elissa’s shoulders as the pressure inside of her swelled. She grappled for a better hold just as a thick spurt of warmth shot from the twitching tip of Elissa’s cock. The rush of heat filled her to bursting, and she came a breath later, arching her back as the room exploded in white hot light. Her inner walls clenched around the thickness inside of her, drawing out heavy pulses of fluid while the bud of her clit throbbed against the base of Elissa’s cock.

Finally, the rocking waves became ripples, and she let out a long, shuddering sigh. The emptiness inside of her was finally filled, and she could breathe again. Elissa breathed too, panting raggedly against her ear, but it was obvious that she wasn’t satisfied. Even though her orgasm had ended, she was still hard and swollen, and her hips kept pumping in search of relief. Leliana stared up at her, eyes widening as the fog around her mind finally began to clear. All of the questions hovering just out of reach came rushing back. Where was she? How had they gotten here? And how had Elissa, her very female lover, been able to come inside of her?

She stroked her hand down Elissa’s back, soothing the welts she had left and trying to relax the stiff, flexing muscles there. _“Lissa? Qu'est-ce que tu fais?”_ There was no reply. Instead, Elissa’s teeth latched onto her shoulder, biting down along the tender place just beneath her throat. She tried again, in Common this time, realizing her mistake. “What are you doing?” Elissa still did not answer. She bit down harder, and Leliana hissed at the sting of her teeth. She didn’t understand. It was almost as though Elissa couldn’t hear her…

Suddenly, she remembered. Reality rushed over her like freezing water. The fade. The desire demon. Marjolaine, and the Elissa who was not really Elissa. The images seemed like something out of a strange, blurry dream, but as the details became clearer, she realized with terrifying certainty that it had all been real. She thrashed beneath Elissa’s powerful body, trying to kick and claw her way free. Elissa stopped thrusting, but only long enough to grab her wrists and pin them to the mattress. Her grip was strong as steel, and even in her panic, Leliana couldn’t find the strength to scream. Her throat stopped up, and she couldn’t make a sound.

Her eyes darted over Elissa’s shoulder instead, searching for a way out. She trembled with fear when she finally realized that their captor was still at the foot of the bed. It watched them with dark, hooded purple eyes and a small smile of approval. Her heart sank, and everything made sense. Elissa’s actions were not her own. The demon was controlling her. Each possessive thrust still made her body burn, but she suddenly hated herself for enjoying them. This was not real. No matter how good it felt, it had to end. She had to make her Warden remember.

As she tried to collect her thoughts, the powerful body above hers started to shake. Elissa’s chest heaved with desire, muscles rippling under her hands. Her hips bucked forward against her will, and she whimpered as the flared head dragged along her front wall. “Mine,” Elissa growled against her ear, driving deeper inside of her with every word. “No one else’s. Ever. Mine.” The voice was familiar, but it was coated with something strange. It was, and was not, Elissa’s voice, just as the demon had, and had not been, Elissa.

But maybe… A thought fluttered just out of reach, wavering with every pump of Elissa’s hips. Maybe if Elissa could speak, she could also hear. Leliana knew her lover was still there, trapped inside her own head just as she had been before. If only she could find a way to pull her out again… Her eyes flicked back to the foot of the bed. She didn’t dare glance for more than a few seconds, but she knew the demon was still there, watching them with hungry eyes. Its tongue dragged over its lips, and it almost seemed to be breathing them in.

Leliana focused back on Elissa. Even like this, she was much less frightening than the horrible creature that had enslaved them. Her mind raced, and she searched for something to say, something that would remind Elissa of who she was. _“Oui, mon amour. La votre.”_ She trembled, praying her lover would hear her voice and recognize the familiar words through the haze of the demon’s spell.

For a moment, Elissa faltered. Her glassy eyes cleared, and her lips trembled as though she wanted to respond. Leliana breathed a sigh of relief as the thick shaft slipped out of her, although her hips lifted against her will, searching for what she had lost. She reached up to stroke Elissa’s cheek, but before she could even graze the soft skin there, a set of slender purple fingers appeared over Elissa’s shoulder. She froze in terror. The demon had climbed onto the bed with them and pressed itself against Elissa’s back. It stared down at her, and she knew that it knew. It sensed she was herself again, and it didn’t want to let her go.

“Why are you hesitating, Warden? This is what you wanted.” Its gaze locked on hers, and a twisted smile curled its lips. “Take it…” Elissa was too lost in a fog to answer or even move. The creature leaned in, its lips brushing against her beloved’s cheek once more. Its nostrils flared as it held back its impatience. “Take her, or I will.”

Elissa let out a low, possessive growl, surging up and pushing inside of her again. Leliana yelped as the stretch parted her tight muscles. Her breasts bounced with each deep thrust, and she clutched at Elissa's forearms to keep her balance. As soon as she grappled a weak handhold, she felt familiar palms on her backside, lifting her up and pulling her into the warden’s lap as they switched positions. She lurched forward, throwing her arms and legs around Elissa as her lover continued to thrust into her, seeking pleasure without a hint of mercy.

Warm breath caressed her cheek, and she flinched when she noticed demon’s face hovering next to hers. “Don’t worry,” it assured her, running its fingers along her throat. “I’m not finished with you yet.”

Suddenly, it disappeared. Before Leliana could turn her head to search for it, she felt another hand on her hip and firm breasts against her back. The demon’s palm cupped over her mouth before she could scream, and something warm and thick pressed against her backside. Its lips skimmed her ear again, and its words were sickeningly soft and gentle. “How many times have you denied the Warden this part of you, Leliana? The only part of you she hasn’t claimed?”

The demon’s knowledge frightened her almost as much as its touch. She and Elissa had an adventurous sexual relationship, but something about being taken so deeply in the middle of nowhere, in the midst of a blight, with an entire camp of people around to hear her cries was too intimidating. She had denied Elissa’s gentle requests with a promise to explore further once their quest was over. But now, the demon had turned their playful agreement against her. It pulled her hips back, and she felt the head push against her tense opening. She clenched her muscles and gasped out a pathetic plea, just louder than a whisper. “D...don’t…”  

Something in her voice made Elissa pause. The powerful hips beneath hers stilled, and the thick length inside of her slipped out on a tide of wetness. Sharp, painful need pierced her stomach, but she didn’t struggle as Elissa flipped her over onto her hands and knees. Warm, uneven breath skated beside her cheek, and she shuddered as she was jerked back. “No.” Elissa’s nails raked across her inner thighs, spreading them wide as she lined up the blunt tip of her cock again. Leliana let out a loud sob, part desire and part relief as Elissa slammed back into her, filling her with a single hard thrust. “Mine.”

The demon’s upper lip peeled back over its fangs, and its eyes flashed. It reached out a hand to fist her hair, forcing her to look up. Leliana gasped as she realized that the broad head of its cock was hovering an inch away from her mouth. A glistening pearl of fluid clung to the tip, and her tongue darted out to slide across her lips without her permission. She clenched her teeth together and screwed her eyes shut, turning her head so that she wouldn’t have to look.

“Don’t look away, pet,” the demon purred. The edges of its fingertips ghosted along her cheek, burning like fire as they ran over her skin. “Your Warden can’t be in two places at once. She doesn’t have any use for your mouth.”

Leliana trembled and clutched down around the thick shaft splitting her apart. Elissa’s hips rammed hard against hers at the end of every thrust, and she dug her teeth into her bottom lip to keep from crying out. She knew that if she opened her mouth, the demon would waste no time filling it. But as the ache inside of her grew and the soothing sound of the demon’s voice hissed in her ears, the idea didn’t seem so disgusting. She knew she should be horrified by what this creature had done to her - what Elissa was still doing to her under its power - but her head was still hazy with lust.

As Elissa’s powerful thrusts tore moans of pleasure from her throat, she wondered if she had been wrong to try and escape. Perhaps things were better here? In the Fade, there was no Blight. No pain. No danger. Just her and Elissa, wrapped up in one another for all eternity. When Elissa began alternating between fast, short stabs and deep, slow strokes, it became even more difficult for her to see the downside. The warmth wrapping around her mind was familiar, and she wanted nothing more than to slip back into it.

She opened her eyes. The flared purple head of the demon’s cock hovered just a few inches away, and her stomach cramped with desire. The red fog returned, swirling in her head and blurring her vision. She blinked heavily. Was it the demon kneeling before her? Its smooth skin blended from purple to pink, shifting to something much more comfortable to look at. “That’s it,” Marjolaine’s honeyed voice said. “Be a good girl and open your mouth. Your Warden won’t mind."

Suddenly, she wanted to taste the offering in front of her. She was desperate to take the length in her mouth, to fold her tongue around the straining head and taste the sweetness pooled at its tip. She could feel herself slipping back down, trying and failing to grab hold of her sanity. Her mouth opened just enough to let a quick breath escape, and Elissa’s next thrust pushed her lips past the head of the Marjolaine’s cock. She groaned as Marjolaine’s familiar flavor spread across her tongue, and she hated herself for enjoying it. Her old Mistress tasted just the same as she remembered.

“Such a good little whore,” Marjolaine sang, twisting her hair tight. “Your mouth is almost as sweet as your pussy.” Some of her revulsion returned, and she gagged around the thick length, but Elissa’s thrusts were unrelenting. Each one forced her lips further down the shaft of Marjolaine’s cock, and the tight hand on the back of her head refused to let her pull back. A few tears leaked from her eyes, but she was too confused to tell whether she wept with fear or desire.

The pleasure pulsing through her body quickly became unbearable. It burned its way down, melting into her spine and settling in the pit of her stomach. She didn’t even have to bob her head. Between Elissa’s thrusts from behind and Marjolaine's grip on her hair, they set the motion for her. Being so full, so used, so selfishly taken made her eyes roll back, and she relented to the powerlessness she found herself craving. Elissa’s cock caught against a sensitive spot with every stroke, but her cries were muffled as Marjolaine forced several more inches into her mouth, stretching her jaw and nudging the back of her throat. She rocked helplessly between the two of them, unable to do anything but surrender.

At last, Elissa let out a sharp cry and froze behind her. She slammed forward one last time, and a gush of warmth burst from the tip of her cock. Leliana arched her back, whimpering around the thick shaft in her mouth. The flood filled her until she couldn’t hold any more, and heat spilled out with each hard jerk of Elissa’s hips. Wetness slipped over the swollen bud of her clit, dripping down her thighs. It was also what Marjolaine had been waiting for. While her muscles tugged at Elissa’s twitching shaft, her Mistress gripped the back of her head and pushed all the way into her mouth. The length of Marjolaine’s cock shivered, emptying down the back of her throat in several shuddering spurts. She swallowed greedily, running her tongue along the base as best she could to coax out even more sweetness.

Marjolaine swept her damp curls away from her forehead and stared down at her, but made no attempt to withdraw. “See how much nicer things can be if you just behave?” she cooed. She gripped the base of her still swollen shaft, rubbing the last pearl of her arousal against Leliana’s pursed lips. “It does no good to fight against your desires, _ma chatte._ Here, you are mine.”

 


	4. Chapter 4

“Maker, though the darkness comes upon me, I shall embrace the light. I shall weather the storm. I shall endure. What you have created, no one can tear asunder.”

Trials 1:10

 

Leliana gasped as a low, possessive growl vibrated from behind her. Elissa gripped her hair, jerking her away from Marjolaine and forcing her upright. She cried out in surprise, unsure whether she was relieved or disappointed to be torn away from her former Mistress. Before she could find her balance, Elissa gave another claiming thrust of her hips, pumping deep inside of her and staying there. She collapsed against Elissa’s chest, letting her head tip back onto her Warden’s shoulder.

“Mine,” Elissa snarled beside her cheek, calloused hands folding around her hips. A look of anger twisted Marjolaine’s face, and Leliana stared at the expression for several moments, trying to place it. Suddenly, it came back to her. The demon. The demon had been envious before, hunched over her back, trying to press inside of her… The demon was Marjolaine. Her eyes widened, and she drew back in fear, retreating into the safety of Elissa’s arms. At least while her lover was claiming her, the demon couldn’t, even if Elissa was still under its control. She had to find a way out of this. Had to…

"I already told you, Warden, there is no need for jealousy. We can share her."

Leliana trembled with fear. The closer she studied Marjolaine’s face, the more layers seemed to peel away, revealing the sharp, angular features underneath. Her stomach lurched at the thought of what she had done, and the sweet taste lingering on her tongue turned sour. To her immense relief, Elissa seemed unwilling to give her up. “Mine,” she repeated, thrusting even harder than before. Leliana whimpered despite herself. With both of them on their knees, Elissa had found another perfect angle. The bundle of her clit strained beneath its hood, and her inner walls fluttered around Elissa’s cock. She had been too distracted to come with Elissa the second time, but her body had not forgotten.

The demon’s eyes narrowed. Its disguise melted away, and it glared at both of them. Leliana tried to remain hopeful. If Elissa was disobeying orders, that meant she wasn’t completely under its power. Perhaps there was still a way to get through to her. The demon knew it, too, because its hands reached out, trying to loosen Elissa’s steel grip on her waist. “Surely you’ve had your fill of her,” it said to her, drizzling the words in a thick, sweet layer of temptation. “Let her go. Give her to me for a little while.”

Elissa shook her head. “No.”

Blunt teeth latched onto the side of her throat, tugging sharply at her skin. The bite was painful, but it still made her entire body seize and shiver. The blaze of Elissa’s mouth followed, and Leliana knew it would leave a loud, angry bruise behind. She could feel Elissa’s heavy breath rushing out around her teeth and the deep, dangerous rumble vibrating in her chest.

“No?” the demon repeated. It moved closer, hovering in front of her as one of its hands slithered down along her stomach. Leliana’s muscles tensed, but there was no escape. Elissa’s hold was unyielding, and she couldn’t have moved even if she wanted to. “You’ve forgotten your place, Warden. I can give her more pleasure than you can even imagine.”

“No,” Elissa repeated. One bite led to another, and soon, Leliana felt teeth pressed against her jugular. There they stayed, sinking into her skin as Elissa continued to take her pleasure. The demon refused to relent, slipping its nimble fingers along her overstimulated clit. Her pleasure spiked, and she couldn’t help but give a breathy sigh of approval. The creature’s touch was perfection, a beautiful accompaniment to the Elissa's thrusts. It closed the distance between them, brushing their noses together. Her hips trembled, torn between rocking back into Elissa's steadily pumping hips and pushing forward against the demon's hand.

The demon’s grin grew wider as it continued to torment her. Its fingers moved in a perfect circular motion, sending shudders through her entire body. The warmth in her stomach started to spread, pushing her closer and closer to the edge. She gritted her teeth, gripping Elissa's forearms as she rocked to find release. But each time her body surged forward, her brain pushed back, shutting it down. She tensed and tried again, arching into the demon's touch and groaning in frustration as she hit the same wall.

The creature tilted its head, staring at her for a moment before hastening its pattern. She shouted in surprise at the intensity, and her hips gave way as the creature put pressure on both sides of her hardened clit. It watched with a confused gaze as she tried over and over to find relief. With a tinge of pity, the demon leaned in, grazing her lips to give a whispered command. “I brought you to this place. I control you here. Your pleasure is mine to give, and mine to take.”

Within seconds of making contact, the kiss ended with another snarling growl. Elissa released her throat and forced the demon away, cupping a possessive hand over her split, swollen folds. Her calloused palm felt entirely different than the demon’s fingers. There was no precision, only broad, harsh pressure, but it gave Leliana what the demon couldn’t. Her lust peaked again, and lights exploded in the back of her head. Elissa’s hand coaxed a flood from between her legs. Each pulse pulled out a surge of heat, and she screamed to the ceiling, fresh tears streaming from her eyes. She clenched down around the thick shaft stretching her open as the stiff point of her clit jumped beneath Elissa’s rough fingers. Pleasure threatened to rip her apart, and she sobbed through the blissful shudders.

The demon barely gave her a chance to come down from her high. It ripped her out of Elissa’s arms, tossing her onto the other side of the bed. “Enough!” it shouted, the low, soothing murmur of its voice replaced with an edge of cold steel. “The two of you will not disobey me any longer. Both of you belong to me.”

Leliana tried to push herself upright, but she couldn’t find the strength. Her limbs remained limp and useless. She could only stare as Elissa collapsed backwards, slumping over like a snap-stringed puppet. Her muscles shivered and twitched, struggling against invisible bonds, but she remained where she was, frozen in place. “Warden, you will stop struggling and submit. This is my domain, and you are my thrall.” For a moment, Leliana met Elissa’s gaze and saw her own fear reflected there. Despite everything else, a small part of her was relieved. At least the real Elissa was still in there somewhere.

Her relief was short-lived. The demon rounded on her next, capturing her chin in its grip. “And _you!_ You will stop trying to reach her. I am the one who owns you. I hold more power over you than she can even dream of.” It clawed at her hips, dragging her forward and forcing her to kneel over Elissa. At first, she did not understand what it wanted, but it soon became clear when it jerked her back down onto Elissa’s cock. She winced as her sore, well-used muscles were stretched yet again, but she couldn’t cry out. Her voice had been stolen from her.

One of the demon’s hands shoved into the middle of her back, forcing her to drop to her elbows. Her face hovered inches above Elissa’s, and she looked hopefully into her bright green eyes, praying that she would find a flicker of humanity in them. ‘Please,’ she tried to say, lips shaking as she struggled to form the word. Elissa continued staring up at her with a confused, pained expression, hovering just out of reach.

“It’s no use,” the demon hissed beside her ear. The thick shaft of its cock grazed the back of her thigh, and she flinched in disgust. “She can’t hear you. She can’t speak. She can’t move. But she can still feel. And so can you…” Leliana tensed as its hands ran along the curve of her ass. Somehow, the gentle touch managed to terrify her more than its previous rough treatment. She tried to pull away, but there was nowhere to go. With Elissa beneath her and the demon on top of her, she was completely stuck.

Being trapped between her lover and the demon was terrifying. With her chest pinned against Elissa’s and her backside exposed and vulnerable to the beast, she flinched at every movement outside of her peripheral vision. She felt the stiff edge of the creature’s cock slide against her thigh as it craned upward. The blunt tip came to rest against her unyielding entrance, pushing forward with slow, steady pressure.

It was clear the demon cared nothing for her comfort when it shoved the head of its cock against the tight ring of muscle. She shuddered as its hands clutched her waist, struggling not to scream. Its nostrils flared in frustration as it pulled back on her hips, and the head of its cock slipped forward. She gasped at the sharp, sudden fullness, whimpering until the demon withdrew. But moments later, it buried even more of its length inside her.

Leliana’s muscles quivered, scrambling to accommodate the excruciating fullness. She loathed every inch of the shaft that split her open, but fought to relax despite the pain. She had suffered such unwanted attention before, and knew that tension would only make the agony worse. But even with that knowledge, it was impossible for her to keep from shaking at the back end of every thrust.

The demon lunged, burying its length deep within her while its fingers moved to sweep aside a strand of her matted hair. The combination of tenderness and ruthlessness made her head spin. With her nerve endings on fire, lighting with each powerful thrust, she scrambled for something to hang onto as the demon hastened its pace. Its deep, hilting strokes confused her, shifting from painful humiliation to something far more complex. Her body finally relaxed, and the demon’s thrusts came easier. “Isn’t it so much nicer when you stop trying to fight me?” it purred, arching over her back.

Leliana screwed her eyes shut, clinging to Elissa as an anchor and finding the crook of her neck. She inhaled her familiar smell again; leather, sweat, and Andraste's Grace. Some of her pain subsided, and the aching stretch lulled her into a pleasant series of accepting sighs. The scent burned a trail into the back of her head…

 

_"Flowers? For me? They're beautiful!" Her cheeks hurt from smiling as she took the bouquet from Elissa's outstretched hand and brought it up to her nose. The sweet, familiar scent made her sigh with happiness, and she gazed at her lover over the curved white petals. "I haven't seen these in such a long time..."_

_Elissa grinned. "I remembered you mentioning them before," she said, folding her arms across her chest. "When I saw these by the bridge in Redcliffe, I knew I had to pick some."_

_A soft flush spread across Leliana's cheeks as she clasped the flowers to her chest. "It was very thoughtful of you. I don't have many memories of my childhood, or many friends who would care to hear about them."_

_"Friends?" Elissa repeated, a worry line creasing her brow._

_Leliana laughed and reached forward to cup Elissa's face, cradling the strong line of her jaw. "Surely you know I think of you as more than a friend, Elissa. It's just... it has been a long time since I had someone to share memories with."_

_Elissa's hand came up to rest on top of hers, thumb brushing up and down along the side of her hand and urging it to stay. Her face drew closer. "So, since we're more than friends, was my gift thoughtful enough to earn me a kiss?" she asked, staring down at her with half-lidded eyes._

_"Just a small one..." Leliana's gaze darted down to Elissa's lips. They were soft and full, parted ever so slightly, trembling along with her breath. She tilted her chin and took them, lowering the flowers to her side as their bodies pressed close. At last, they parted, both a little reluctant to give each other up. "There. And thank you for the flowers."_

_"You don't have to thank me," Elissa insisted. "I would do anything for you. Pick flowers, save you from perilous danger, end a Blight...Maybe even go shoe shopping."_

_“Is that a promise?” Liliana gave a coy smile._

_“More than a promise.”_

_"Well, with such devotion, I'll have to give you something better than just a kiss," Leliana teased. She brushed her nose against Elissa's, pressing their foreheads together. It felt so right to rest in Elissa's arms._

_Elissa laughed. "Better than a kiss? I hope my heart can stand it."_

 

The last lingering echo of her cherished memory faded, and she was left with only the dull thud hammering into her body. Each possessive stroke made her buck forward, but she hated the idea of belonging to the demon. She was Elissa’s, and Elissa was hers. They had promised each other. Elissa had promised…

The pressure inside of her grew, pounding until she couldn’t bear another second. Elissa’s length throbbed inside of her as the demon’s shaft split her open over and over again.  Her body began to quiver. Her muscles stretched to the snapping point, caught between pull and push. Desperately, she looked back down into Elissa’s eyes, hoping she would find strength there. But Elissa’s face was still frozen, stuck between pain and desire, lips trembling with each shallow, panicked breath.

What little freedom she was afforded was quickly revoked when the creature’s hand wrapped around her hair and yanked back. Its fingers curled around her throat, and it leaned further over her shoulder. “Everything you are belongs to me,” it rasped. The length of its shaft twitched, and Leliana tensed, bracing herself. The pressure and thickness slamming into her no longer felt unwelcome. Her hips rolled back, anxiously meeting every thrust as a whimper slipped from between her lips. She dug her nails hard into Elissa’s muscled stomach, no longer fighting the demon’s rhythm. The combined sensations proved to be too much, and her head lolled forward.

The demon groaned against her neck, bucking in a erratic rhythm. It finally stiffened, hilting itself and straining deep inside of her. Its hands clawed her hips and held her possessively in place. There was pressure, a ripple at the base of its cock, and then a powerful spurt. Warmth rushed deep inside of her, easing its uneven thrusts as it plunged deeper. Each pulse made the demon’s shaft jump, and it slammed hard against her flushed backside, pumping jet after jet of its release.

Leliana screamed, dragging her hardened clit along Elissa’s abdomen. The pressure built and built, and the harsh stretch was enough to snap her control. Her entire body shook, and her eyes squeezed shut. Clutching down tight, she arched her back, panting in desperation as she bathed Elissa with her wetness. Elissa’s hips jerked hard beneath hers a moment later, and a second splash of heat poured into her. Her muscles rippled, fluttering wildly around both of the shafts buried inside her until she collapsed in exhaustion. She went limp, still shivering and spilling across Elissa’s stomach.

Her hips pumped weakly, greedy for more, until she heard the demon laugh. “Did you enjoy that, _ma chatte_?” it asked, taunting her with Marjolaine’s voice. “I knew you would. This is where you belong. This is all you’re good for. This is all you are.”

Tears dripped down Leliana’s cheeks, splashing onto Elissa’s chest. The demon was right. It had broken her.

It held her down with a well placed hand between her shoulder blades, pressing her breasts against Elissa’s as its cock slid out with a lewd pop. “Stay there,” it said as it left the bed. “I don’t require your services any longer. I should be some time, so you may as well keep your Warden entertained until I return. I expect that re-capturing your companion - Morrigan, is it? - will present a much greater challenge than subduing the two of you.”

Leliana stared down at Elissa’s face with tear-blurred eyes. Her lover remained frozen, panting heavily through stiff, parted lips. She could still feel the memory of Elissa’s mouth on hers. The heat. The softness. So tender and gentle. If this was going to be the end, and these were the last precious moments she would spend as herself before becoming the demon’s pet, she wanted to savor them. Even though it had stripped everything else away - her pride, her freedom, her humanity - the demon couldn’t erase her love. Not for these last few seconds. She bent down, cupping Elissa’s jaw just as she had in her memories, and brought their lips together in a sweet kiss goodbye.

Everything was still for several heartbeats. Leliana waited, half expecting the demon to rip her final comfort away, but nothing happened. Suddenly, the mouth beneath hers moved. Elissa’s lips caught hers, weakly at first, then with rapidly growing eagerness. The kiss was messy, a complete contrast from the demon’s too-perfect treatment of her, but it was also passionate and familiar. Elissa’s arms came up to circle her, and she melted into them. Her tears ran harder, smearing onto Elissa’s face, but this time, they didn’t burn with shame. A piece of herself she hadn’t realized she had been missing slid into place, and she sobbed with relief.

Even when the kiss ended, their connection didn’t. Elissa stared up at her, and a look of recognition finally dawned on her face. “Leliana?”

Leliana’s heart swelled. “Lissa…”

_“NO!”_

A loud, shrieking voice tore through the room. She and Elissa jerked upright, still clinging to each other. The demon stood at the edge of the bed, its purple eyes blazing with fury. It reached out, trying to tear them apart, but before its claws found their flesh, the room began to shake. The walls cracked. The ceiling splintered apart. The bed rattled, and the carpets on the floor began to unravel. The world around them shattered, breaking off into sharp pieces that flickered and disappeared as they floated away. The air around them became a blur of green and orange, spinning them in dizzying circles until they were thrown from the bed. They landed in a heap on the ground, bodies still joined.

Leliana blinked, struggling to adjust to their new surroundings. They were back in the fade. What was left of the bedroom had melted into the smoke, and the demon had disappeared. Reluctantly, she allowed Elissa to inch out of her a little at a time. Her body ached at the loss, but the slick warmth running down her thighs was almost soothing. She offered Elissa a weak, sad smile, blinking back a few tears as she wove their fingers together. They had a great deal to discuss, but now was not the time. She was simply grateful that she and Elissa were free of the demon's spell.

The sound of a clearing throat drew her attention, and she looked up in surprise. Morrigan and Alistair were standing a few yards away, staring at them with wide eyes. Alistair sputtered, unable to string a sentence together, but Morrigan seemed almost amused. She tilted her head to the side, a wry smile pulling across her lips. “It seems my argument with Alistair was for nothing. Your fantasy was far stranger than either of ours. Well done, Leliana.” She eyed the glistening shaft of Elissa’s cock, folding her arms over her chest. Elissa blushed, and Leliana cleared her throat. “What? Did the two of you wish to go back? Don’t let me stop you…”

Their awkward reunion was cut short. The ground shook beneath their feet, and the rocks below started to crumble away. The demon's voice echoed everywhere at once, filling her ears with a powerful roar. "Foolish children, you could have had _everything_!”

Elissa sprang upright, clutching her hand. “Come on. We have to find a way out of here!”

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you go! The great escape. Our heroines are free, but things won't be easy from here on out either.

_Blessed are the righteous, the lights in the shadow._

_In their blood the Maker's will is written._

_-Benedictions 4:11_

 

“Calm yourself, Warden,” Morrigan said. “We have already returned.”

Elissa blinked. Morrigan was right. The strange, shifting landscape of the Fade was gone, replaced by the familiar stone walls of the Circle tower. She gasped in surprise, craning her neck to make sure it wasn’t some kind of illusion, but the ever-present haze had cleared and her limbs no longer felt slow and sluggish. After a few moments, she realized that she was no longer naked. Her armor was back, along with her sword and shield, and her body had returned to normal.

Her first instinct was to look for Leliana. The bard’s face was unnaturally pale, and she clutched her bow in shaking hands, but at least she was standing and alert. Elissa lowered her shield and took a step toward her, but Leliana’s eyes widened in fear. “Don’t!”

Elissa froze. Guilt rushed in to fill the gaping hole of fear in her chest. The full weight of what she had done, what the demon had made her do, came crashing down on top of her. She almost fell to her knees, and tears rose in her eyes. “Leliana…”

Leliana did not answer. She simply raised a shaking hand, pointing over her shoulder.

Elissa turned. The demon was waiting behind her, staring at them with burning eyes. It had taken its true form, but this time, its posture was not seductive. Its body was tight, bunched with rage, and its lips pulled back in a snarl. “You’ve declined my generous offer of hospitality and left me with no choice.” Its chest heaved, and its words were hollow with anger. The floor below quaked when it stepped forwards, still powerful even in the mortal realm. “I will not be denied what’s mine.”

Even in its state of fury, the demon’s movements seemed calculated, with anger simmering just below the surface. It eyed each of them with a narrow, harsh gaze, but its expression was neutral until it landed on Leliana. Its head sank below the line of its shoulders in a predatory stance, and its lips curled. “But, of course, there’s no reason for you all to perish when I only need one body…”  It curled its hand around, palm facing upwards and beckoned Leliana closer. “Put down the bow, ma chatte.”

The words made Leliana falter, and Elissa raised her sword enraged, preparing to rush forward. She wasn’t fast enough. A crack of lightning landed just before the demon’s feet, rattling it enough to slow its advance. Morrigan’s hand was outstretched, crackling with blue sparks. “Such arrogance,” she sighed, summoning threads of lightning that danced through her fingers.

That ended the stalemate between them. Alistair drew his sword, and Elissa followed suit, placing herself in front of a still dazed Leliana. The demon was not intimidated. “So be it,” it shouted, its voice echoing from the tower walls. “Become mine through oblivion instead.”

It threw out one of its arms and the entire party stumbled backwards. Elissa fought to stay on her feet, staggered with the force of the hit. She struggled to raise her shield and only just managed to cover her face as a crackling wave of fire rushed toward them. The heat made the air around her tremble, and she turned her head, glancing fearfully at Leliana. Her lover was on the ground behind her, hunched over but still breathing.

She reached out in desperation, trying to offer an arm, but there was no time. The demon charged forward, and she whirled back around to face it, raising her shield to block. Her weapons had been useless against its powers in the Fade, but she had to try again. This time, when she swung her blade, it found flesh. The demon shrieked in pain, and the sound drove through her head like painful spikes. Her sword slipped free of its body, dripping with deep red blood.

The demon bunched its muscles, preparing to launch itself at her, but before it could, a wave of biting frost ate into its skin. Elissa breathed a sigh of relief. Morrigan and Alistair were on the move again. The creature howled and jerked in midair, and the three of them formed a circle until it had nowhere left to flee. “You fools,” it hissed, glaring at them as blood dripped down its torn arm. Smoke began pouring from between its lips, and it fixed its gaze on Alistair. “Even here, I am more powerful than you can imagine.”

Elissa watched in horror as Alistair cried out, clutching at his arm in the same place. Blood began slipping through the joints in his armor, and his sword wavered. He gritted his teeth, and his face contorted with unnatural pain. The louder he screamed, the more the demon’s skin began to glow, sealing over with new flesh. Alistair’s knees buckled beneath him, and he scrambled to stay upright. The demon sauntered over to him, its hand caressing his cheek as it leaned forward and pressed its lips against his forehead. Alistair’s eyes rolled back in his head, and he slumped to the floor in a heap beside Leliana.

The demon’s black lips curled over its gleaming white fangs when it set its sights on Morrigan. Morrigan smiled back, bold and unafraid. A flash of crackling blue light filled the room as she sent her lightning hurtling at their enemy. The first bolt hit the creature square in the chest, but did little to slow it. Its hand stretched out, and the two circled one another with an unsettling similarity.

At last, Morrigan lunged, hands billowing with smoldering green essence. There was a sizzling sound, and the demon snarled, ripping Morrigan's wrist away. It yanked the witch forward and twisted her arm, causing her to cry out. Elissa rushed to help, but she was too slowing. Before she could even raise her shield and charge, an invisible force slammed into her, sending her flying across the room.

Elissa crashed into a full shelf, sending books raining down around her. She blinked back her surprise and scrambled to her feet just in time to watch the demon press its own searing palm to Morrigan’s cheek. Smoke smoldered from its touch, and the witch howled in pain. Morrigan shook violently, heaving from side to side until the demon snapped its fingers. Suddenly, her body went stiff as a corpse. Her hands fell, and she stared forward with empty eyes, jaw locked in horror.

Elissa started hauling herself back to her feet, but the demon didn’t give her the chance to rise. It prowled toward her, planting its foot in the middle of her chestplate. She tried to squirm free, but her muscles remained stiff. Her hand shot out, grasping for her sword but it met only empty air. The hilt was just out of reach. She glanced to the other side, and her heart sank. Alistair was still bleeding onto the stones, Morrigan was frozen like a terrified statue, and Leliana… Leliana was still hunched into a ball where she had fallen, breathing in shudders.

She tried to crawl toward them, but it was impossible. She was trapped again. Frozen. Just like she had been when the demon had pinned her to the bed. A painful shiver coursed through her body, and her head throbbed with fear. She had been so helpless. So sickeningly helpless. Just as she was now…

“You are useless to me,” the demon spat, glaring down in disgust. “You’re so broken that you’re barely worth feeding from. I should just kill you now before I take your lover back with me.”

_Take your lover back with me…_

She thrashed in terror, struggling against the weight on her chest. No. She couldn’t let it take Leliana. The demon was far stronger than it looked, and she could barely move. Her fierce struggles only produced the slightest twitches along her tense muscles. This time, there was no red haze. The demon was not even trying to tempt her. Just the cold, icy fingers of fear squeezing her heart, and Leliana’s name echoing over and over again in her mind.

The demon laughed, a hollow, cruel sound that cut into her head. It raised its hand, and fire flitted between its fingers, crawling down the length of its arm. “So ends the proud Ser Cousland, the last Grey Warden of Ferelden. I could have given you everything, but you chose to die with nothing.”

Her chest heaved frantically as the demon wrapped its fingers around her throat. It brushed away a strand of her sweat-slick hair with its other hand as a freezing sensation emanated from each fingertip, constricting her windpipe. Darkness kissed the edge of her vision as she tried in vain to free herself from its grip, but there was no hope. _Leliana… I’m so sorry..._

The last thing she heard before she slipped into darkness was a soft, cold whisper. “Ne vous inquiétez pas, tout sera bientôt fini."

Suddenly, a howl of agony broke in Elissa’s ears. The demon’s fingers pried away from her throat, and she instinctively gasped for air. Her eyes shot open just in time to watch the creature reel back. Blood poured down the front of its body, and it thrashed in pain. She blinked away the fog, trying to make sense of what she was seeing.

There stood Leliana. Her savior. Rich violet gore covered her armor, and her right hand gripped one of the demon’s horn as her left stretched skyward, armed with the lost sword. The creature craned back at an unnatural angle, clawing at its throat as Leliana plunged the weapon into its neck again. The same voice as before broke the silence, and Elissa realized it belonged to her lover. “Regarde moi,” she spat. When the demon couldn’t answer, Leliana pulled harder, jerking the creature’s head back and sinking the blade in deeper. “Je ai dit regarde moi, pute.”

Elissa’s body came back to life. She scrambled to her feet, unsure if she should reach out. The sight of Leliana in such a state of madness terrified her. The demon twitched once, and then went limp. Its head lolled to one side, half-severed from its torso, and its body slumped to the floor. Tears streamed down Leliana’s face, and she pulled the sword free with a slick squelch, thrusting it down into the demon’s corpse again and again.

Cautiously, Elissa closed the distance between them. She stretched out her hands slowly, afraid of startling her lover with an unwanted touch. “Leliana?” she whispered, brow tense and filled with fear. “Leli, it’s me. Elissa.”

Leliana finally looked up at her, and Elissa flinched. Her bloodshot eyes brimmed over with tears, but they looked completely empty. Pain overwhelmed everything else. At last her shoulders slumped, and she let the bloodstained sword clatter back to the floor. “Lissa. Je suis désolée,” she murmured, wiping her face with a shaking hand.

Elissa stared at her in astonishment. “You’re… apologizing?”

Leliana shrugged. “Yes. This was my fault. I ended it, but I’m sorry I wasn’t strong enough to do it sooner.” She knelt beside the fallen sword as a few final tears dripped from her chin, careless of the blood gathering on the stone floor. The demon’s body lay still and unmoving beside her as she closed her eyes and bowed her head. “Blessed are the righteous, the lights in the shadow. In their blood the Maker’s will is written.”

Elissa remained frozen for several moments. Part of her wanted nothing more than to fall to the ground and take Leliana in her arms, but something held her back. She could not find the courage to move. She didn’t deserve to touch the woman she had so brutally violated. With one last despairing look at the hunched form of her lover, she glanced toward Morrigan, who had regained the use of her limbs. She groaned and lifted a hand to her head, swaying slightly and gripping her staff for support. A surprised look crossed her face when she saw the demon’s body, and she nodded her head once in approval. “It seems Leliana has managed to make up for our mistakes this time. I’m glad to see it.”

“Glad?” Alistair groaned, hauling himself up into a sitting position. Blood still covered his armor, but some of the color had returned to his face. “I didn’t know you were capable of being glad about anything.”

Elissa glared at both of them. “Not now,” she said, turning back to Leliana. She had not moved from her previous position, and her lips moved silently as she wept. “Leliana?” she said as gently as she could, gathering enough courage to fall to her own knees. Leliana’s eyes remained shut. “Leliana, we can’t stay here. We have to leave.”

Leliana still did not move.

Several moments passed, but the deafening silence ended when Morrigan and Alistair slipped from the room. “We’ll just ...check outside then,” Alistair said as they left. “Try and get through to her. We don’t have long.”

Elissa gave them a grateful nod. It afforded her a rare second of privacy with Leliana, one that they didn’t have time for, but also couldn’t afford to pass up. Hesitantly, she reached out, her hand hovering an inch away from Leliana’s shoulder. Her own guilt was crushing, but the pain written across her lover’s face was even worse. “Please,” she whispered, unsure what else to say. Words seemed insufficient, and she was too afraid and ashamed to use touch. “Please… come back to me.”

Slowly, Leliana’s eyes cleared. She blinked, and Elissa’s heart sank as her hand was brushed aside. Tears stung the corner of her eyes, and she feared her lover would simply walk past, refusing her offer of comfort. But then Leliana’s arms opened, and they wrapped tight around her, radiating warmth even through their armor. Elissa buried her face in Leliana’s hair and held her as tight as she dared. She let out a shuddering breath she had held for far too long, and her body finally relaxed. There was no escape from the horrible things that had happened to them - the horrible things she had done - but at least they were alive. Alive and together, even if they weren’t quite whole anymore.


	6. Chapter 6

_Here lies the abyss, the well of all souls._ _**  
** _

_From these emerald waters doth life begin anew._

_Andraste 14:11_

Elissa stared into the fire, watching orange and yellow tongues of flame dart toward the sky. The camp was unusually silent. Normally, her companions were rowdy in the evenings, laughing and drinking together while the sound of Leliana’s lute filled the gaps. Even Morrigan socialized now and again, or at least called out insults from the direction of her tent. But tonight, no one was talking, and Leliana’s music was conspicuously absent.

Her first instinct had been to offer comfort. Part of her had ached to follow when Leliana retreated to her tent, pale and huddled beneath her cloak, but she wasn’t sure her presence would be welcome. How could she help Leliana when she was the source of her lover’s pain? Although they had embraced after the demon’s death, she had not dared to make any physical contact since. However horrible she felt, she knew that Leliana had to be experiencing far worse. The demon’s torments had been brutal. She had been its tool, but Leliana…

The soft sound of footsteps made her look up in surprise. Her eyebrows lifted when she saw Morrigan standing beside her. The witch’s hands were perched imperiously on her hips, and although she was not smiling, her expression was not as unfriendly as usual. “Everyone else has retired to their tents, Warden. I might advise you to do the same. We travel back to Redcliffe tomorrow.”

Elissa sighed, resting her elbows on her knees as she slumped over the log. “No offense, Morrigan, but I’m not really in the mood to chat right now. Yesterday was…” She couldn’t finish the sentence. What words could she possibly use to describe how it had felt to rape someone?

“Yesterday was not easy for any of us,” Morrigan pointed out. Elissa glared at her, immediately defensive, but the witch held up her hands. “I know your bard suffered the most in the Fade, but our task is not finished. I am not one for encouraging speeches or optimism, but I have no desire to see Ferelden destroyed. And if you do not reconcile your feelings for her with your experiences in the Fade, that is exactly what will come to pass.”

“There are no ‘feelings’ to reconcile,” Elissa snapped. “You have no idea what happened, and I’d appreciate if you stopped acting like you do. It’s a damned good thing you aren’t aiming for optimism, because you’re terrible at it.”

“No, I’m only left to imagine what did transpire. But given your sulking and her distance, I can render a guess.” Morrigan crossed her arms, but her voice softened just a bit. “I don’t know the exact nature of your guilt, but I have first hand experience in regretting one’s actions. Do you think I’d be much use to you if I had ceased my studies in transformation?”

She blinked, trying to make sense of Morrigan’s statement. “What are you babbling about?”

Morrigan heaved a sigh. “I assure you, no small number of chasind met their end trying to claim the hide of a prized bear. Certainly, there is guilt to be had in the morning, but I’ve found one simply can’t be blamed for their actions when those actions are not directly their own. The past is over, and all one can do is make the best of it.”

Elissa’s eyes narrowed into an angry glare. “So, you’re comparing… you… ending people’s lives as a bear, to a desire demon making me...” She didn’t bother finishing the sentence. She wasn’t even sure if she could put words to what she had done. “It’s not the same at all. You didn’t know those people, and frankly, the fact that you aren’t remorseful about killing them only makes you sound like a monster.”

Morrigan turned to face the fire, watching its smoke curl up toward the sky. “You are entirely missing the point. I was not comparing the two, Warden, simply offering a bit of advice. You’ve no idea what I felt or what amends I made, just as I’ve no clear picture as to what horrors you inflicted on Leliana under the demon’s power.” She turned, eyes locking with Elissa’s, forcing her to shift uncomfortably. “What I do know is that you will gain no peace until you deal with what you have done.” With that, Morrigan rose, clutching her staff with both hands and slowly trudging off to her own tent. 

Elissa shoved her fingers through her hair and let out a long sigh. Perhaps Morrigan was right. She hadn’t been responsible for her actions at the time. Just thinking about them made her sick. But regardless of whether she was guilty or not, the ordeal was over. All she could do was try to make amends. She was unsure if Leliana would even speak to her, but she had to try. She stood from her perch, adjusted her armor, and headed for Leliana’s tent.

She spent several moments lingering just outside, listening at the flap. She could hear the soft sound of Leliana’s breathing, but not much else. At least it doesn’t sound like she’s crying, Elissa thought. Then, she definitely wouldn’t have found the courage to enter. When she couldn’t stand the almost-silence any longer, she peeled the flap a few inches back, whispering around its edge without poking her face through. “Leliana?”

There was no answer at first. Leliana’s breathing quickened, but she didn’t say anything. Cautiously, Elissa peeked her head into the tent. Leliana was huddled in a ball on top of her sleeping pallet, forehead resting on her knees and arms wrapped around her shins. “Leliana, it’s me. May I come in?”

Leliana glanced up at her, but her eyes remained dull. It looked as though the life had been sucked out of them. Her face was pale, and her lips trembled as she spoke. “Elissa. Yes… please. Come in.”

Something in Leliana’s voice made her hesitate. “Are you sure?” she asked, fighting the instinct to take a step back. “You don’t seem to want me here.”

Leliana sighed and closed her eyes. “I do. Come sit with me.”

Elissa crept into the tent as quietly as she could, setting her sword and shield aside. She hadn’t gone anywhere without them since leaving the Circle Tower; not that they had done her much good against the demon’s trickery. She sat down a few feet away from Leliana, unsure how close to position herself.

Thankfully, Leliana did not move away. “Sometimes, I still think we’re in the Fade,” she whispered, staring down at her gloved hands. “I look around, trying to find cracks in the forest. Is this another dream? Another nightmare waiting to unravel?”

Elissa shuddered. Leliana had just described her feelings perfectly. “I know what you mean. You examine every thought in your head twice, three times, maybe more. You know, just to make sure it’s actually yours and not something that someone else put there.”

Leliana nodded. Silence filled the empty space between them.

“I don’t know why I came here,” Elissa mumbled at last. “I guess I wanted to make sure you were all right. To apologize. But how could you be all right after… and how could I apologize for…”

“It wasn’t you,” Leliana said flatly. “It was the demon. She tricked both of us.”

The coldness in her voice made Elissa’s stomach churn. “But I hurt you! I violated you. We can’t just pretend I didn’t.”

Leliana stared at her, and Elissa gasped as a small flicker of light reappeared in her eyes. “Do you believe in souls, Elissa? Do you believe there is something else under this dying flesh? A purer essence of ourselves?”

“I… I suppose I do.”

“Your soul did not do this.”

“You shouldn’t be the one comforting me,” Elissa protested. “I came here to help you. What the demon did to me is nothing compared with how it tortured you.”

Leliana sat up straight on top of her pallet, and some of the color returned to her pale face. “So, that somehow makes it less horrible? We can disregard your feelings, simply because you believe my torment was worse?” There was no anger in her voice, but it was clear she was not in the mood to compare. “We both suffered. You are my love. I have the right to comfort you, just as you comfort me.”

Elissa chewed at her bottom lip. Hearing that Leliana did not blame her was something of a relief, but it summoned several new questions into her already cluttered head. “So, what happens now? How do we keep going forward?”

“Perhaps it would be best if you took Sten, Dog, and Wynne with you to Redcliffe. I need more time before I’m ready to fight again. Perhaps Alistair and Morrigan do as well.”

“Of course, but that wasn’t what I meant,” Elissa whispered. “How do we keep going forward? The two of us?” When Leliana did not answer immediately, fear rushed in to fill the hole in her chest. “Unless you don’t want to. I would understand if you couldn’t be with me after…”

Leliana reached out, and Elissa stiffened as a soft hand brushed her knee. She wanted nothing more than to rest her own fingers on top of it, but couldn’t find the courage. “I don’t just want to stay with you, Elissa,” Leliana said, leaning closer in the darkness. “I need to. Your love helped me break free.”

Instead of being relieved at the answer, Elissa felt tears begin to rise in her stinging eyes. “But…”

Warm lips crashed against hers, forcing down her doubts. Leliana was kissing her. Kissing her despite everything that had happened, with a ferocity that stole her breath. She froze, unable to pull away, but also unable to respond. Leliana’s mouth burned with an almost painful heat, and the tears she had been holding back slipped down between their faces. _I shouldn’t be doing this. I can’t. We can’t…_

But Leliana’s lips were too sweet to pull away from. Her body reacted even as her mind raced. A low ache settled between her legs, terrifying and wonderful at the same time. Her resistance faded to a dull echo, a near silent protest. She wanted validation. To know that Leliana forgave her and understood that the monster in the fade wasn’t her.

Elissa’s fingers trembled as she tried to unfasten her leathers, but Leliana was too impatient to wait. A lean thigh curled around her waist, and she topped forward, falling forward onto the bedroll. Leliana’s warm body fit perfectly beneath hers, and she melted despite her fear. Their kisses grew more frantic, each hungrier than the last. She finally managed to pry Leliana’s buckle open with fumbling fingers, and once it came free, she wasted no time tugging the hem of her pants down.

The sight before her sucked the breath from her chest. Even in the shadowy tent, she could drink in Leliana’s pale skin, the smooth lines of her body. She reached out instinctively, palming Leliana’s backside with a possessive squeeze and bringing their pelvises together. Leliana bucked beneath her, and the motion made her her mouth slip. Her teeth sank down, and the soothing sound of their shared breaths was broken by a sharp cry of pain.

Elissa froze. The fade. Pain. Pain mixed with stomach-churning pleasure. She had felt their bodies become one, and she hated herself for loving it. She screwed her eyes shut, fighting to push the thoughts back, but soon, the sound of them was deafening. She pulled away, untangling herself from Leliana’s arms as if she had been burned. “T-this is a bad idea,” she stammered, shaking with a mixture of fear and desire. “We...I… it’s too soon. I didn’t mean to do any of that...”

Leliana gazed up at her with shining eyes. Where she had expected to find fear, Elissa could see only sadness. "It's not too soon," she said, reaching out for her again. Elissa didn't have the strength to pull away a second time. She remained stiff as warm hands trailed along her arms, trying to coax her back down onto the bedroll. "This is exactly what I need. I want to remember what this is supposed to be like. How making love feels without its influence."

Elissa quivered, clutching tight to the shreds of hesitation she had left. She wanted nothing more than to dive in for another kiss, to prove that Leliana wasn't afraid of her... but she was still afraid of herself. The demon had showed her what she was capable of, and all her instincts felt wrong. But Leliana was still staring at her, eyes brimming with tears, lips parted in a soft, wordless plea. The sight grew even more unbearable lower down. Her pants were tangled around her knees, and there was a dark stain at the front of her smallclothes, clinging tight enough to outline every curve.

"Please," Leliana said, taking one of her hands and guiding it between her legs. Elissa's pulse pounded in her ears as her fingertips slipped beneath the fabric. "I... I can't stand the fact that it was the last one inside me. I want you. Just you."

 _She wants me._ She let those three words play over and over again in her mind as she tugged the ruined smallclothes out of the way. As she covered Leliana's warm body with hers, bracing her weight on one elbow. As she took her lips in another kiss and took the rest with a smooth push of her fingers. Leliana was already so wet, so open to her touch. She didn't deserve it. She didn't deserve any of this.

* * *

Leliana willed herself to relax as Elissa slipped inside of her. Her body ached for the fullness, the familiarity, but fear threatened to overwhelm her instead. Even as her heart pounded in the cage of her chest, her body responded. She was wet, almost shamefully so. Her inner muscles fluttered, clutching tight around Elissa's fingers. It was like the Fade all over again…

 _No. This is Elissa,_ she reminded herself. _Not the demon. Not Marjolaine. Not some twisted copy under its control. You have to let go of your doubts before they consume you._

Leliana gazed up into Elissa's soft eyes through the darkness, and at last, she began to calm down. Such feelings couldn't possibly be copied. Her palm rested over the back Elissa’s hand, urging her to stay, tracing the soft veins that stood out beneath her skin. This was what she had asked for. Elissa inside of her, without any complications. The thought sent warmth rushing through her body again, and she exhaled a breathless plea into Elissa's neck. “Deeper...”

Elissa handled her so delicately that each push, each curl of her fingertips felt like a whispered I love you. Every slow stroke shattered bad memories and made new ones. Whenever her fear rose up again, she focused on Elissa’s movements. They were gentle. Restrained. Exactly the opposite of how the demon had forced her to be in the Fade.

For a few quiet moments, their lovemaking was tender as it had ever been. But soon, Leliana's hips started to roll up, anxious for more. When Elissa fell into the tempo she had asked for, a spike of pain pierced her chest. She gasped, blinking back the sharp sting of shame from her eyes. The fog of lust had made her greedy in the Fade's grip. It had clouded her mind, forced her to desire things that made her flinch in horror. She was afraid the same would happen again, even while she was safe in the real Elissa's arms.

Elissa noticed immediately. She paused, a worry line creasing her forehead. "Leliana? Should I-"

"Don't stop," she answered, a little too fast. She felt ragged, torn open. The thought of continuing frightened her, but the thought of stopping was even more unbearable. That would be admitting defeat. Admitting that she couldn't handle this. That she didn't really trust Elissa the way she wanted to. She closed her eyes and breathed. She wanted to reclaim what the demon had taken from her, to remember that her own pleasure didn't have to be shameful. “Please, try again. And Lissa…” She opened her eyes again, latching on to the smooth planes of her lover’s face. “Touch me the way you usually do. I need to remember it’s you.” _I need to remember I won’t break._

“Of course it’s me.” Elissa stopped moving and stared down at her with worried eyes. “And this is how I… the way I usually… Isn’t it?”

Leliana felt the fingers within her tremble, and she could see the guilt creasing Elissa’s brow. This wasn’t going to work. Her lover’s insecurity was only frightening her more. She gathered her courage and tried asking in a different way. “Elissa. Do you love me?”

“Of course I do. Always.”

Leliana arching her back, bearing down on Elissa’s fingers. Their lips met again, and she whispered her plea into the warmth of Elissa’s mouth, clutching tight at the back of her neck. “The show me.”

Finally, Elissa relaxed above her. A rough hand gripped her hip, not painful, but certainly possessive, and Leliana knew her request was finally understood. _Thank the Maker. I have her back._ Soon, she was rewarded with the familiar weight of her Warden on top of her. Instead of feeling trapped or confined, she felt herself floating free. The tight cords of muscle shifting above her made her own body melt, and she lifted her thigh, pushing it up between Elissa's legs. Wetness painted along her skin, and the slick warmth made her smile. At least this was still the same. The horrible memories of the demon and the Fade hadn't prevented Elissa from responding to her.

Her hips started to move, willingly this time. When Elissa pushed down against her knee, she rocked forward to meet the thrusts. The fingers filling her were still gentle, but they weren't cautious, hooking to find the secret place along her front wall. Her clit twitched against the callused heel of Elissa's hand, and every rough scrape coaxed the hood further back. "I do love you," Elissa mumbled into her lips, panting raggedly between words and kisses. "So much, Leliana. So much I don't think my heart can hold it all."

 _I love you, too,_ she thought, but she couldn't form words. She tried, but her lips only trembled. Instead, she resolved to show the truth with her touch. She folded one of her hands around the back of Elissa's neck, burrowing into her hair and holding her close. They found a rhythm, arching into each other, rocking forward and back. Every time Elissa pushed inside her, she lifted her thigh, offering more purchase. Soon, the proof of Elissa's desire ran freely over her skin.

She forgot everything else. The pain. The fear. The shame and confusion. All that mattered was the woman above her. Inside her. Elissa. Her entire world. Their rhythm became smooth and fluid, and she didn't have to think about her responses anymore. She only had to exist. To be here in this moment. She pulled out of another kiss, she had lost count long ago, and stared up into Elissa's eyes. In them, she found only love. Only acceptance and trust.

She couldn't help but give that trust back.

This time, the rapidly growing pressure inside of her wasn’t frightening. The ache, the swell, and the shattering that came after felt as natural as breathing. She seized up, but only because her body was so overwhelmed. Her muscles clenched down, and she let out a muffled scream into the welcoming warmth of Elissa's mouth. She fluttered around the fingers splitting her open, and a blissful rush of heat poured out with each thick pulse. The tight bud of her clit throbbed with the same rhythm. Somehow, she managed to keep her thigh in place, giving Elissa something to grind against and praying it would be enough for her. She didn't want to fall alone.

Her fear was unfounded. Each roll of Elissa’s hips painted her thigh, and she could feel the rapid thud of her Warden’s heart pounding against her own chest. Tense fingers groped for hers in the dark, and when they made contact, they wove seamlessly between her own. She returned the comforting hold until Elissa’s hips jerked forward one last time, releasing a heavy flood across her thigh. She was beautiful as she unraveled. Leliana relished every trembling rush that ran over her skin, each tight sigh that burst past Elissa’s lips. This wasn't the demon. This wasn’t the fade. Elissa’s climax was nothing like Marjolaine’s, and the simple intimacy served to ground her. This moment belonged to her and no one else.

At last, Elissa went limp on top of her. Still clinging to each other, they rested in silence. Slow breaths filled the tent, drowning out the nighttime sounds from outside. Leliana adjusted her eyes in the dim light, taking a moment to brush a slick strand of hair from Elissa’s damp brow. “Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me for loving you,” Elissa said, resting their foreheads together. “Just stay with me. Please?”

There was only one answer she could give. “Bien sur, mon amour. Always.”

The fingers inside of her withdrew, and Leliana’s stomach twitched at the loss. “Can I stay in your tent tonight?” Elissa asked, her expression full of hope. “If you don’t mind…”

Leliana closed the distance between them with a final searching kiss. “Of course. I wouldn’t dream of spending the night apart.”


End file.
